Keeping A Memo
by Tatsumaki-sama
Summary: The sense of smell can remind someone much about another person. Especially if that person is Roronoa Zoro.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own One Piece or any of its characters.

**Keeping A Memo   
**

_Blood_. That was all he could smell. That sickening smell, that clung to the air in heavy, fat drops, like a second coating, an additional layer that no one wanted. Sanji almost choked on the thickness of it, to the point he was gagging, eyes watering, stomach churning violently. But it was not the thing that revolted him. It was the sight of Zoro standing there in the midst of all this blood, that was splattered and showered over the rocks and grass. Blood coated over his body, tainting ashen pale skin a scarlet hue, weeping down Zoro's arms and chest. The question burned in his mind, yet he did not dare ask it. _Was he still alive?_ The grating, hollow wheezes issued from the parted, cracked lips were the answer. Long after he had run back towards the others, shouting and scrambling over the rocks, gingerly carrying the blood-splattered swordsman to the medical table on Chopper's instructions, watching with his breath held, eyes fixed rigidly on the scene as the operation took place, the nauseating smell continued to assault him, even when he stumbled to the washroom later that night, frantically trying to scrub the stench off his hands.

_Medicine_. Chopper didn't even notice the odor until after the operation, when he was sitting down, trembling in exhaustion, wiping sweat off his brow. He had worked methodically, efficiently and systematically. It was the only way to do it if he wanted to save the life of Zoro. If his emotions got in the way, Zoro would die, simple as that. He snapped out orders, growling at any interruptions, blindly reaching for scalpels, rolls of bandages, needles, cleaning rags, water, ointments and whatever he needed to carry out the surgery. Each time he looked at Zoro, his complexion would seem to get worse. He looked too cold, too hot, too pale, too flushed, breathing too soft, breathing too hard, heart beating too slow, heart beating too fast. The others all watched from a distance, worried, waiting, hopeful. There were instances where it seemed too late, that Zoro's heart stopped, that his lungs ceased to work, that he was gone. But Chopper continued working, his hands not even giving Zoro a chance to die on him. For their sake. For Zoro's sake. For his own sake.

_Gold_. The sweet, sweet fragrance wafted to her nose, tickling it, teasing it. How she lavished and delighted in it, hugging and kissing each piece. The exuberant grin on Nami's face could rival the sun's rays, as she literally swam on the mounds of gold that had mysteriously appeared on Thousand Sunny, by some extraordinary benefactor. After the long, draining night of being chased by zombies, a near fatal marriage to Absalom, battling the behemoth Oz and facing Bartholomew Kuma, her morning was visually brightened upon seeing the sight of gold on the ship's deck. The rest of the crew were happy as well to discover the find. Sanji delightfully crowed out how radiant she looked, with the golden hue glistening from her face, before instantly adding that Robin, who looked pleasantly content, was just as radiant. Luffy, Usopp, Brooke, Franky and Chopper all cheered and dived in the pile upon sight. Still, even as she laughed at Luffy and Usopp doing backstrokes in the thick of the gold, there was a slight twinge in her heart that there was one crew mate who was unable to share this joy.

_Food_. What a wondrous scent that filled his nostrils. Luffy was ecstatic, giggling loudly as he hopped and rocked on his heels, hoping to get an extra tidbit of meat, eyeing the cook, who did his best to ignore the hungry pants and childish whines following him wherever he went. When Sanji finally kicked him to get out of his way, he wandered back to the main party, where Franky and Usopp were dancing, Brooke was playing the piano and everyone else was eating and laughing. He joined in the fun, excitement filling him from his fingers to his toes, almost as satisfying as the meat that currently dangled from his mouth. What a wonderful day today was! He got a new crew mate, a skeleton with an afro and musician all in one. There was a party to celebrate their victory over Moria and Thriller Park. And he felt great, completely energized and buoyant, both in spirit and body. Not that he was complaining. It was one of those unexplainable things that he simply came to accept. However, one thing he won't accept is that fact that Zoro was lying on a bed, unconscious, too pallid and sickly, not involved in the festivities because he couldn't. Nevertheless, he kept one barrel of rum specifically for Zoro when he does wake up.

_Coffee_. Robin absently sipped it, inhaling the rich aroma, before continuing to read her book. It was late at night, with majority of the pirates fast asleep. And after the party, who wouldn't be, with all the dancing, cheering, feasting and drinking? She, however, chose not sleep. For one, the book she had started the night before, was getting quite interesting. Secondly, Chopper needed someone to keep an eye on the sleeping Zoro, in case of anything. The doctor was obliged to do it himself but he was snoring away in a tangle of limbs next to Luffy at the moment. The sight of the formidable, battle-worn pirates who had single-handedly defeated Moria and Oz sprawled all over the room, leaning against the walls, slumped over tables and chairs in every possible position, snoring peacefully, was rather comical. Strangely, as a note of her observation, though they were all so faraway from each other, their heads were instinctively turned towards one of their own.

_Sweat_. At first, all Franky could smell the familiar whiff of oil, grease and metal. It would have been natural, since being the shipwright, it was his job to make sure that Thousand Sunny is in perfect condition before the next journey. He spent most of his morning fixing Sunny up and scraping all the icky cobwebs away. With that finished, he decided to do his routine checkup on the other rooms of the ship, inspecting for any leaks or damages. His checkup led him to the crow's nest. Stopping at the opened door, he peered into the room with a sense of reservation. The training weights, so normally used, sat lonely and forgotten, dispersed around the room, accompanied by a few towels thrown carelessly on the floor. Despite knowing the swordsman for only a short period of time, Franky found the unfamiliar silence, devoid of either grunts or snores, mixed along with the sticky smell, was unbearably suffocating. He slowly backed out of the room, closing the door with a sigh, before continuing his checkup.

_Earth_. To Brooke, nothing could be better than to lay his previous nakama to rest in the soil that had come from their home. He knew for sure that their restless souls will find peace there. Softly humming a familiar melody, Brooke played their favorite song for them with his violin, as a final goodbye. There is a bittersweet sorrow, as he is no longer part of the Rumba pirates but of the Straw Hat crew now. And he was darn proud to join them, especially after witnessing firsthand the sacrifice of the first mate Roronoa Zoro. The willingness to surrender his life for his captain, it reminded him of how he would have gladly done the same for his captain Yorki. The memories of what he had done for Yorki, all the times he leaped into battle to defend, all the times he stand vigil by his captain's side, all the times he played that song for Yorki to catch a glimpse of his friend's smile, it brought a watery tear to his eyeless sockets. He knew that feeling of protecting very well. As Zoro appeared and sat next to him, sporting bandages, still looking pale and exhausted, he felt very fortunate to be able to be in the company of such noble, admirable people.

_Assurance_. After everything that had happened during Thriller Park, Usopp could finally breathe easy again. Things were back to normal, for most part. Just seeing Luffy running and jumping on Thousand Sunny like a hyperactive monkey and hearing Brook's cheerful, carefree melody of the piano and violin is enough to lift their spirits from the dreary fog of the Florian Triangle. Still, nothing could compare to the reassuring presence of a certain swordsman. Despite Chopper's orders to stay in bed, Zoro continued to train, more vigorously than before. His eyes burned in fierce, hardened determination - to do what? To become stronger after his failure against Kuma? If anything, Usopp considered it a victory. They were all still alive, with a few injuries and some, but otherwise, perfectly fine. But something happened during his confrontation with Kuma the Shicibukai, something that affected not only Zoro, but also Sanji and Brooke, and for some measure, Robin. Whatever it is, they did not say. They kept it themselves, a hidden little secret from the rest of them. But he wanted to know. He tried asking about it, but they all immediately shy away from the question, avoiding and evading. Like Usopp was going to give up on a matter with a magnitude like this. He would find out what happened. Because for his nakama, he wanted to help ease the burden from their shoulders, even if it is just a little bit.


End file.
